1) Rock band formed in 1980. The fol… Read Full Bio ↴There are two bands with that name:
1) Rock band formed in 1980. The following year they won the Villa de Oviedo contest and get to publish 3 tracks in a compilation. Their first LP, called Ilegales, appeared in 1982, and since then they've consistently been one of the main Spanish rock bands.
2) Dominican "merenhouse" quartet. Their hits "La Morena", "Fiesta Caliente", "Las Mujeres", "Taqui Taqui", and "La otra" were very popular in all Latin America and in the Hispanic market in the US during the late 90's. Now the band plays bachata, as in their single "Mátame".
Africa Paga
Ilegales Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buscando un sitio en cualquier parte.
Y aunque camine... nunca llegaré.
Y aunque camine... nunca llegaré.
Busqué un acorde... perdí mi banda.
El champán seco... fue mi desgracia.
Cualquier decisión, es un suicidio aquí.
Iremos juntos... dispararemos,
todo es mejor que quedarse a mirar.
Iremos juntos... hacia el infierno,
si es que una bala se cruza al pasar.
En la oficina... de alistamiento
África paga... África espera.
Tienes un hombre más que matará por ti.
Iremos juntos... dispararemos,
todo es mejor que quedarse a mirar.
Iremos juntos... hacia el infierno,
si es que una bala se cruza al pasar.
En la oficina... de alistamiento,
un mercenario... garganta seca.
Cualquier decisión es un suicidio aquí.
Iremos juntos... dispararemos,
todo es mejor que quedarse a mirar.
Iremos juntos, hacia el infierno,
si es que una bala se cruza al pasar.
Qué bala se cruza al pasar
AFRICA.
The lyrics of "Africa Paga" by Ilegales describe the perspective of a group of armed men who are seeking a place to belong and a purpose to their lives in Africa. The first two lines state that they were just an armed gang trying to find a place to exist. The lines "Y aunque camine... nunca llegaré" translate to "And even if I walk... I'll never arrive." This could refer to the constant sense of displacement they feel or their lack of direction.
The next few lines represent a loss of direction and fragmentation within the group: "Busqué un acorde... perdí mi banda / El champán seco... fue mi desgracia," which translates to "I looked for a chord... I lost my band / The dry champagne... was my downfall." It seems like the group may have disintegrated because of internal tensions and lack of purpose. Nonetheless, they still try to find meaning, knowing that there is danger in the path they've chosen.
The middle section of the song acknowledges the danger the group faces as they prepare for their next mission. The image of Africa waiting and paying ('África paga... África espera") implies a sense of hopelessness and exploitation of the continent by individuals like the singer. They're willing to take part in violence if it means that they can feel a sense of belonging: "Todo es mejor que quedarse a mirar" which translates to "Everything is better than just staying and watching," highlights this feeling of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
No éramos más que una banda armada.
We were nothing more than an armed group.
Buscando un sitio en cualquier parte.
Looking for a place anywhere.
Y aunque camine... nunca llegaré.
And though I walk... I will never arrive.
Busqué un acorde... perdí mi banda.
I searched for a chord... I lost my band.
El champán seco... fue mi desgracia.
The dry champagne... was my downfall.
Cualquier decisión, es un suicidio aquí.
Any decision is suicide here.
Iremos juntos... dispararemos, todo es mejor que quedarse a mirar.
We will go together... we will shoot, anything is better than just watching.
Iremos juntos... hacia el infierno, si es que una bala se cruza al pasar.
We will go together... towards hell, if a bullet crosses our path.
En la oficina... de alistamiento África paga... África espera.
In the enlistment office... Africa pays... Africa waits.
Tienes un hombre más que matará por ti.
You have one more man that will kill for you.
Qué bala se cruza al pasar AFRICA.
What bullet crosses as AFRICA passes.
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.